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‘Game On!’

“Game On” was Rick Santorum’s first comment after his “surge” was considered successful with a mere 30,000 votes in Iowa. He inadvertently gave the game away by calling it a game—which is what it is.

Only this game is not just about politics but also about the media. Pseudo-events like this are what the media lives for: it provides something for them to do, and to feel important while doing it. It creates airtime for endless punditry, and a spectacle to liven up a dull Iowa winter.

For Iowans, it’s a chance to “participate” in something that sounds important; for media heads it’s a news routine, a ritual. The media, in effect, provide an infomercial posing as real news.

Yet throughout the weeks of endless around the clock “coverage,” including polling, and analyzing TV ads there’s barely a mention about how the media benefits by creating a phony sense of excitement while generating revenues from the money spent on the endless ads, like the $17 million Rick Perry invested in his run to nowhere. (How much do you think each vote cost?)

Chris Crawford makes some points picked up on Undernews that were buried, if reported at all.

1. Caucuses don’t even pick binding convention delegates.
2. The winner’s raw vote total would fill one fourth of an NFL stadium.
3. Only 100,000 of the state’s 3 million residents participate.
4. Presidents Gephardt, Huckabee, Harkin, Robertson.
5. Saying its worth is “winnowing” the field is like the family dog eating table scraps.
6. The winner gets maybe six unbound delegates out of more than 1,100 needed for the nomination.
7. Iowa has five times more hogs than people.

The media analysts who examined the coverage revealed that it was more about the horse race than any real debate about issues

The Project on Excellence in Politics reported,

“the news media were most focused on the shifting horse race that foreshadowed Rick Santorum’s strong late showing, according to a PEJ analysis of the leading themes in the Iowa press narrative….

“This report, which is based on a sample of more than 11,500 news web sites, found that the horse race elements—such as strategy, momentum and polls—represented the leading theme (27%) in the coverage of the volatile Iowa contest. That was followed by coverage of the candidate’s records and issue positions (19%) and then by attention to the Iowa caucus system itself (16%). Coverage of the concerns and activities of the Iowa voters trailed well behind, at 6%.”

Many media outlets pointed out the irrelevance of the Iowa circus but they covered it anyway as if it mattered, thus giving it an importance by its visibility that many of its gutless analysts acknowledged was a farce, while calling themselves journalists and hyping it anyway.

Writes media critics Marvin Kitman,

“Basically, the format of the event, which is not even a primary, is comparable to the number of people who showed up at a Politburo meeting in the old days of limited democracy in the USSR

Like Leninist democracy, the Iowa Caucus is based on the principle of democratic centralism, in which smaller groups get together to elect bigger groups. It’s a cross between voting in an actual primary and the great American tradition of selecting candidates in smoke-filled rooms before a convention.

Actually, the Iowa Caucus is less democratic than the Politburo election since it disenfranchises so many eligible voters: people who work on Tuesday nights; folks who can’t afford a baby sitter; those away fighting our county’s battles on foreign shores; people out of town on business, or afraid of the dark. Whatever reason, only 80,000 or so people will bother to register their choice.”

Now, it’s on to New Hampshire for more of the same with a smaller crew of gamers still standing. Bachman is gone and Perry is posturing and Gingrich has been ‘newted’ by voter disgust. Huntsman still has some of his daddy’s money to spread around.

Media Tenor, another monitoring group, points out:

“As coverage of the economy improves, President Obama will be viewed more favorably, meaning that Republican candidates may have to focus on different issues to appeal to their base, as well as to undecided voters,” according to Racheline Maltese, a Media Tenor researcher.

“Iowa is often about social issues because of the limited number of participants in the caucuses. It’s an important time to see what messages candidates are providing to their supporters, but it is not always reflective of the wider tone of the election,” she notes.”

“Not always reflective, “How’s that for an understatement? The real winner so far is, ironically, Barack Obama—just by doing nothing but looking presidential when he’s not playing golf or signing New Years Eve signing “signing statements” undercutting the Constitution while expressing “reservations.”

Meanwhile, our fearless media continues to undercover the financial crisis, the desperation of the poor and economic pressure on most American families.

That failure is compounded by an unwillingness of media mavens to admit that their own practices contribute to a crisis that is fast becoming a collapse.

The New York Times turned itself into an even more of a newspaper for the 1% by raising its newsstand price to $2.50. You have to pay more to read more about the growing inflation.

Moreover, TV “news” programs are increasingly losing what was left of their news, as the Washington Post reports:

“TV newscasts are increasingly seeded with corporate advertising masquerading as news — and the federal government wants to do something about it.

Concerned that subtle “pay-for-play” marketing ploys are seeping into the news, the Federal Communications Commission has proposed a regulation that would require the nation’s 1,500 commercial TV stations to disclose online the corporate interests behind the news.

The proposal, which could take months to be enacted, has drawn praise from media watchdogs and consumer groups that have criticized the current system, which requires broadcasters to disclose that an advertiser paid for a mention on the news only in the closing credits of a broadcast.

“Unless you stick around for the end credits, you’re unlikely to know it’s payola,” said Corie Wright, senior policy counsel for Free Press, a media watchdog group backing the FCC proposal. “If broadcasters were required to put it online, you could check to see if it was actually sponsored or not.”

The proposed regulation is aimed at news programs that appear to viewers to be the work of independent journalists, but in fact sponsors have shaped or even dictated the coverage.

The problem is that even much of the non-fudged news is itself a context-free concoction with little perspective or challenge to an increasingly corrupt status quo.

This is a game of fools played by fools so the rest of us stay fooled.

Santorum will completely stall out in New Hampshire. His racism and his cryptofascist religiosity will not play in New England. MA, just a half-hour away is pure Romney country and the area also has a high proliferation of libertarian, “Live Free or Die” Ron Paul supporters. Let him work up as much a head of steam as he wants. It’ll only hurt him in the long run.

http://www.facebook.com/johnvonbittrich John Francis Bittrich

Santorum will completely stall out in New Hampshire. His racism and his cryptofascist religiosity will not play in New England. MA, just a half-hour away is pure Romney country and the area also has a high proliferation of libertarian, “Live Free or Die” Ron Paul supporters. Let him work up as much a head of steam as he wants. It’ll only hurt him in the long run.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

Nonsense to say Santorum is racist. How can people be expected to vote wisely when they get basic facts wrong?

JohnFrancisBittrich

When someone asks you a question about foreign monetary influence in US politics and you respond with a rant about not wanting to “make black people’s lives better” with welfare money in a state with no black people in it, you are a racist. Plain and simple.

but not to worry, I won’t be voting “unwisely” as I refuse to propagate and legitimize a broken, psychotic system by voting in it.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

Did you even watch the video? He doesn’t use the word black. BTW, Think Progress is not a reliable website.

His point had to do with creating a society that fosters independence on the government. It had nothing to do with blacks or whites. Reading so much into a 17 second video is crazy.

Calypso_1

what word did he use?

Calypso_1

…reality orientation was too challenging.

Johnny Hall

Santorum is racist man, it’s quite obvious. Plus the guy is a huge douche. AND HE DID SAY “BLACK”. Him saying the word “black” was played over and over and over again on our local radio morning show. How this could be misconstrued is hard to comprehend.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

That you think it is obvious Santorum is a racist from that tiny clip just means it is obvious you are an idiot. A lie repeated over and over doesn’t make it true, it just means you listen to stupid radio stations that spread lies. Propaganda is created by repetition and lie by omission. There is a ton of evidence he’s not a racist. I recommend you find new sources of news.

Johnny Hall

Your delusional, go back to sleep.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

If you hear something over and over it must be true. Way to think for yourself.

Johnny Hall

He said a racist comment, period. I heard it and so did everyone else with ears attached to their head. It’s not a lie, do you even know what a lie is? A lie would be saying Santorum didn’t say the work black, that’s a lie. No one is going to vote for that guy anyways so us arguing over this is useless. And why do want to suck this guy’s _____ so bad anyways?

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

If you hear something over and over it must be true. Way to think for yourself.

Johnny Hall

Ok, so are you looking for points for copy and pasting? Or are you trying to repeat your lies over and over until it “must be true?”

Doppler Head

Not to be the grammar police but.. You got a few mistakes up there. I was able to infer what you meant but others may not. I also wouldn’t waste my time on a “Rick –
revolting last name” supporter. Ron Paul should be the only choice for 2012. Just saying…

Johnny Hall

Ron Paul is a freemason so I find it hard to trust him. He bashes skull and bones yet he is in a secret society himself. I also noticed the grammar mistakes but I don’t really care about them. Especially when the person I’m talking to (Keith) can’t understand spoken words anyways.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

It appears that repetition is effective with you so I was trying it out.

Andrew

Thanks for admitting you were repeating a lie over and over. Because of that little bit of honesty I won’t automatically discount anything you say in the future, although I will be skeptical.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

I never said I was lying, only repeating myself.

Fuck Murdie

The man is a biggot. Better?

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

You don’t have the slightest idea what you are talking about.

Randel Kurds

Says the only guy who’s talking out his ass here.

AK947H2

You said “Santorum” and “vote wisely” in the same comment. That’s enough information to discredit everything you said from then on.

TheDreamerIsStillAsleep

While I think Santorum is a total douche, I agree with you that he is not a racist. Does he say things which are racially insensitive? Yes, absolutely. But that does not make him a racist by default.

Keith Forton

Everyone is a little racist. I’m sure Santorum has his moments.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

Speak for yourself. I grew up in Detroit, a very mixed city. I saw how skin color is so meaningless to the character of someone.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

Nonsense to say Santorum is racist. How can people be expected to vote wisely when they get basic facts wrong?

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

Nonsense to say Santorum is racist. How can people be expected to vote wisely when they get basic facts wrong?

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

Nonsense to say Santorum is racist. How can people be expected to vote wisely when they get basic facts wrong?

http://www.facebook.com/johnvonbittrich John Francis Bittrich

When someone asks you a question about foreign monetary influence in US politics and you respond with a rant about not wanting to “make black people’s lives better” with welfare money in a state with no black people in it, you are a racist. Plain and simple.

When someone asks you a question about foreign monetary influence in US politics and you respond with a rant about not wanting to “make black people’s lives better” with welfare money in a state with no black people in it, you are a racist. Plain and simple.

When someone asks you a question about foreign monetary influence in US politics and you respond with a rant about not wanting to “make black people’s lives better” with welfare money in a state with no black people in it, you are a racist. Plain and simple.

but not to worry, I won’t be voting “unwisely” as I refuse to propagate and legitimize a broken, psychotic system by voting in it.

http://www.facebook.com/johnvonbittrich John Francis Bittrich

but not to worry, I won’t be voting “unwisely” as I refuse to propagate and legitimize a broken, psychotic system by voting in it.

http://www.facebook.com/johnvonbittrich John Francis Bittrich

but not to worry, I won’t be voting “unwisely” as I refuse to propagate and legitimize a broken, psychotic system by voting in it.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

His point had to do with not having a society that fosters dependence. It had nothing to do with blacks or whites. BTW, Think Progress is not a reliable website.

Rick

Anyone voting for Santorum deserves it on their face.

Rick

Anyone voting for Santorum deserves it on their face.

Rick

Anyone voting for Santorum deserves it on their face.

Anonymous

what word did he use?

Fuck Murdie

The man is a biggot. Better?

Johnny Hall

Santorum is racist man, it’s quite obvious. Plus the guy is a huge douche. AND HE DID SAY “BLACK”. Him saying the word “black” was played over and over and over again on our local radio morning show. How this could be misconstrued is hard to comprehend.

RP2012

So I’m gonna be that guy… The one who says vote Ron Paul. I’m sure more will come later.

RP2012

So I’m gonna be that guy… The one who says vote Ron Paul. I’m sure more will come later.

RP2012

So I’m gonna be that guy… The one who says vote Ron Paul. I’m sure more will come later.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

That you think it is obvious Santorum is a racist from that tiny clip just means it is obvious you are an idiot. A lie repeated over and over doesn’t make it true, it just means you listen to stupid radio stations that spread lies. There is a ton of evidence he’s not a racistPropaganda is created by repetition and lie by omission. I recommend you find new sources of news.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

That you think it is obvious Santorum is a racist from that tiny clip just means it is obvious you are an idiot. A lie repeated over and over doesn’t make it true, it just means you listen to stupid radio stations that spread lies. There is a ton of evidence he’s not a racistPropaganda is created by repetition and lie by omission. I recommend you find new sources of news.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

You don’t have the slightest idea what you are talking about.

Johnny Hall

Your delusional, go back to sleep.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

If you hear something over and over it must be true. Way to think for yourself.

Johnny Hall

He said a racist comment, period. I heard it and so did everyone else with ears attached to their head. It’s not a lie, do you even know what a lie is? A lie would be saying Santorum didn’t say the work black, that’s a lie. No one is going to vote for that guy anyways so us arguing over this is useless. And why do want to suck this guy’s _____ so bad anyways?

Randel Kurds

Says the only guy who’s talking out his ass here.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

If you hear something over and over it must be true. Way to think for yourself.

Johnny Hall

Ok, so are you looking for points for copy and pasting? Or are you trying to repeat your lies over and over until it “must be true?”

Johnny Hall

Ok, so are you looking for points for copy and pasting? Or are you trying to repeat your lies over and over until it “must be true?”

Johnny Hall

Ok, so are you looking for points for copy and pasting? Or are you trying to repeat your lies over and over until it “must be true?”

Doppler Head

Not to be the grammar police but.. You got a few mistakes up there. I was able to infer what you meant but others may not. I also wouldn’t waste my time on a “Rick –
revolting last name” supporter. Ron Paul should be the only choice for 2012. Just saying…

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MXD5BXEJ7LLRD65BYVSFPKJPQY Michael

Rick Santorum just wants to become president so he can use that snazzy new NDAA law to throw Muslims, blacks, gays, unicorns, and still-born babies in prison camps … it’s looking like a great time to be a president in America, you can just throw all your opposition in jail. Awesome. And Keith — really man — he’s a self-professed Muslim hater … are you dense or just dumb?

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MXD5BXEJ7LLRD65BYVSFPKJPQY Michael

Rick Santorum just wants to become president so he can use that snazzy new NDAA law to throw Muslims, blacks, gays, unicorns, and still-born babies in prison camps … it’s looking like a great time to be a president in America, you can just throw all your opposition in jail. Awesome. And Keith — really man — he’s a self-professed Muslim hater … are you dense or just dumb?

AK947H2

You said “Santorum” and “vote wisely” in the same comment. That’s enough information to discredit everything you said from then on.

http://twitter.com/keithccurtis Keith Curtis

It appears that repetition is effective with you so I was trying it out.

Johnny Hall

Ron Paul is a freemason so I find it hard to trust him. He bashes skull and bones yet he is in a secret society himself. I also noticed the grammar mistakes but I don’t really care about them. Especially when the person I’m talking to (Keith) can’t understand spoken words anyways.

TheDreamerIsStillAsleep

While I think Santorum is a total douche, I agree with you that he is not a racist. Does he say things which are racially insensitive? Yes, absolutely. But that does not make him a racist by default.

ThisLittleLightOfMine

I was not surprised at all when I woke up and saw how well Santorum had done. The fact is, people like my parents – hardcore fundamental Baptists who are waiting with baited breath for the imminent return of Jebus – will not vote for someone like Romney unless they absolutely have to because they do not consider him to be a “true believer”.

They believe that Mormons and Catholics are brainwashed cult members (trust me, the irony is so staggering that there are times when it is all I can do to keep from screaming at the top of my lungs…) I also doubt that they would ever have voted for Gingrich given his blatant history of infidelity… Santorum meets all of their qualifications…so did Bachman and my mom probably would have voted for her if she had not dropped out. If Romney ultimately gets the nomination then I suspect they will vote for him simply because he is not Obama, but in the meantime I expect to see the Religious Right rally around Santorum. Personally, I will be voting for Ron Paul: the ONLY candidate willing to bring ALL of the troops home; the ONLY candidate willing to end the Patriot Act and nullify the NDAA; the ONLY candidate willing to end the war on drugs and willing to free every prisoner whose only conviction was a non-violent drug offense.

Andrew

Let them know that Santorum is a Catholic.

ThisLittleLightOfMine

This is fascinating/disturbing and ties in directly with this conversation…

I was not surprised at all when I woke up and saw how well Santorum had done. The fact is, people like my parents – hardcore fundamental Baptists who are waiting with baited breath for the imminent return of Jebus – will not vote for someone like Romney unless they absolutely have to because they do not consider him to be a “true believer”.

They believe that Mormons and Catholics are brainwashed cult members (trust me, the irony is so staggering that there are times when it is all I can do to keep from screaming at the top of my lungs…) I also doubt that they would ever have voted for Gingrich given his blatant history of infidelity… Santorum meets all of their qualifications…so did Bachman and my mom probably would have voted for her if she had not dropped out. If Romney ultimately gets the nomination then I suspect they will vote for him simply because he is not Obama, but in the meantime I expect to see the Religious Right rally around Santorum. Personally, I will be voting for Ron Paul: the ONLY candidate willing to bring ALL of the troops home; the ONLY candidate willing to end the Patriot Act and nullify the NDAA; the ONLY candidate willing to end the war on drugs and willing to free every prisoner whose only conviction was a non-violent drug offense.

Anonymous

…reality orientation was too challenging.

Keith Forton

Everyone is a little racist. I’m sure Santorum has his moments.

Keith Forton

Everyone is a little racist. I’m sure Santorum has his moments.

Keith Forton

Everyone is a little racist. I’m sure Santorum has his moments.

Andrew

Let them know that Santorum is a Catholic.

Andrew

Thanks for admitting you were repeating a lie over and over. Because of that little bit of honesty I won’t automatically discount anything you say in the future, although I will be skeptical.

Anonymous

Even on Disinfo the point of this article went right over the heads of commentors thus far.
Check please.

p.s. great article Mr.Schechter

Eric_D_Read

Even on Disinfo the point of this article went right over the heads of commentors thus far.
Check please.

p.s. great article Mr.Schechter

Andrew

Even on Disinfo most readers are just trying to confirm their already existing opinions.

Santorum got some good advice. Go out to each individual county and shake hands with voters. Show them you are a down to earth person. But is he really? Every president is basically a used car salesman. They tell you what you want to hear to ‘get the lemon off the lot’. Hey it worked for Obama. A good friend of mine stated that Romney will most likely win. As he stated the Mormons have planted their ‘moles’ in every facet of the U.S . Placing a stranglehold on what my friend dubs as the ‘4 points': religion, money, politics, and infrastructure. Take over an empire from within slowly and through the guise of smaller subsidiaries. Play the ‘game’ not like chess but a hybrid of chess and checkers. The Mormon influence in starting to became way too obvious around the nation. Too many billboards and advertisements for the church. They are already some of the most powerful business people in the world. And everyone here knows what the U.S is based on.

Nickhabris

Santorum got some good advice. Go out to each individual county and shake hands with voters. Show them you are a down to earth person. But is he really? Every president is basically a used car salesman. They tell you what you want to hear to ‘get the lemon off the lot’. Hey it worked for Obama. A good friend of mine stated that Romney will most likely win. As he stated the Mormons have planted their ‘moles’ in every facet of the U.S . Placing a stranglehold on what my friend dubs as the ‘4 points': religion, money, politics, and infrastructure. Take over an empire from within slowly and through the guise of smaller subsidiaries. Play the ‘game’ not like chess but a hybrid of chess and checkers. The Mormon influence in starting to became way too obvious around the nation. Too many billboards and advertisements for the church. They are already some of the most powerful business people in the world. And everyone here knows what the U.S is based on.

Andrew

Even on Disinfo most readers are just trying to confirm their already existing opinions.

Misinformation

Remember when everyone said that whomever was voted president made a difference?

Misinformation

Remember when everyone said that whomever was voted president made a difference?

Hadrian999

the whole thing is a game, a very well designed one,high entertainment. news agencies don’t just report events, they create them, news producers coach protesters, bloggers conduct stings for the lulz, politicians run “campaigns” for their own profit and to set up book deals and gigs as “analysts” for their respective party’s propaganda wings. The rub is like any good game, the teams are all working for one group of owners. love “your guy” hate “their guy” and watch gleefully as we are all sold up the river but it’s ok because sometimes your rooting for the winning team. party administrations flip flop again and again and yet we keep steadily marching the same direction, Bush/Clinton…….keep spending, keep invading foreign nations, war on drugs, highest incarceration rate in the land of the free…….Bush/Obama….corporate war/end of civil liberties……who cares at least my team won

Hadrian999

the whole thing is a game, a very well designed one,high entertainment. news agencies don’t just report events, they create them, news producers coach protesters, bloggers conduct stings for the lulz, politicians run “campaigns” for their own profit and to set up book deals and gigs as “analysts” for their respective party’s propaganda wings. The rub is like any good game, the teams are all working for one group of owners. love “your guy” hate “their guy” and watch gleefully as we are all sold up the river but it’s ok because sometimes your rooting for the winning team. party administrations flip flop again and again and yet we keep steadily marching the same direction, Bush/Clinton…….keep spending, keep invading foreign nations, war on drugs, highest incarceration rate in the land of the free…….Bush/Obama….corporate war/end of civil liberties……who cares at least my team won

Gregory Wyrdmaven

Rick Santorum is an agent of chaos. Do you want to know how he scarred his conscience?

Gregory Wyrdmaven

Rick Santorum is an agent of chaos. Do you want to know how he scarred his conscience?

poster

how did he

ThisLittleLightOfMine

This is fascinating/disturbing and ties in directly with this conversation…